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LA School Report has learned that Alex Johnson, a top aide to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, has filed papers with the City Clerk’s office, making official what has long been assumed by insiders, that he is running for LA Unified school board in the special election set for June 3.

While Johnson has spoken privately with numerous policy-makers and funders about his candidacy for weeks, he has waited until the last minute to make his run official: the deadline for filing with the clerk is 5 p.m. today. He faces a packed field of at least 10 other candidates including former TV personality Omarosa Manigault.